The One In Charge of Everything

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.Colossians 1:15–18 ESV Read More

There is a lot going on today.There was a lot going on in Colossae when this letter was written.There were divisions in a church that was not even a decade old. There were corrupt leaders in the government that were unpredictable. There were wars off in the distance that threatened the peace of even the smallest towns. There were snow days and ice storms.
When Paul had a chance to write the Colossians, he didn’t address any of that or systematically oppose all of their fears and objections. He lay the truth that takes care of everything out in front of them. He has already established that Jesus has saved us. Jesus has bought us into a family of redemption and peace with God. Jesus has qualified us to get the reward that He earned for Himself.
So let’s talk about Jesus. No one has seen God, but if you have seen Jesus, you’ve seen God. His life and His works are a perfect portrait of the character and image of God. Jesus existed before anything, and everything that exists came about because of Him. That means that He is so mighty and so in charge that we can ask for His help with anything. Creation isn’t out of Jesus’ control like some kind of rogue A.I. in a sci-fi movie. Creation is free to worship or rebel so as to show the love of God.
He is the head of the church, which means a lot of things. Just as the head controls the body, it knows when one part needs to help and assist the other parts. The head knows how to care for the entire body, and helps the entire body unite and work together for the good of the whole body. The number one way for people to work toward unity isn’t to agree on this or that issue or topic, but for everyone to be connected to the head. Just like our human bodies, if something is connected to the arm but not to the head, it doesn’t help the arm at all. It’s no good for us to have unity with one another if we aren’t connected to the Head, which is Christ.
Whatever is going on, Christ is preeminent. As you watch the news or struggle at work or fight with that guy in line for the last loaf of bread, remember that Christ is preeminent. That means above everything. Like a house can’t last without a roof or a person can’t last without a head, nothing can last without Christ over it. Jesus said Himself that “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
There is nothing we can’t take to Him and there is nothing over which He doesn’t rule. As we trust Him, we can rest in the fact that everything is held together or destroyed by His mighty hand.
You can get the Daily Bible Readings to your inbox via email every day by subscribing here. Join the discussion online on Facebook or Twitter.